Boat-releasing device.



F. IACOBY.

BOAT RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, I918.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

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Application filed January 8, 1918. Serial No. 210,874.

To all whom it may concern .Be it known. that I, FREDERICK JACOBY,

\ a citizen of the United States, and a resident of North Bergen, in the county of I'ludson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Boat-Releasing Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to life boats and has particular reference to a quick releasing device for the purpose of setting a loaded life boat free from the davit connections after it is launched.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a releasing device of the character indicated and of such a nature that the davit. connectionswill not only be held reliably for the manipulation of the boat, but also, will be released simultaneously from both ends of the boat so as to obviate any possibility of one end being released before the other, even though the boat may not yet have reached the water.

"With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed orsuggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof, reference is hadto the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views and in which-- Figure 1 isa vertical longitudinal section' showing my improvement in 1 connec tion with a diagrammatic representation of a lifeboat, the parts being set in attached position; 1 j 1 1 Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the invention partly in section indicating in full lines the fixed or looking position and in dash lines the releasing position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the' heads showing particularly the form of the overpp n jaws;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 2 with the parts in the position indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 Fig. 5 is a similar view but with the parts in unlocked position; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the connector bolts or pivots.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I show at 10 what may be regarded as a conventional form or type of Specification of Letters Patent. 3t), 1918 life boat adapted to be launched by means of any suitable davit construction, (not shown.) In the longitudinal center of the bottom of the boat is formed a rigid rib 11 of any suitableconstruction for the purpose of the attachment of the devices constituting this improvement.

Adjacent to each end of the rib 11 is fixed or anchored a standard or pedestal indi cated as a whole at 12. Each pedestal may be described as comprising abase bracket 13 of substantially lJ-shape in cross section, see Figs. 41 and 5, and cooperating withthe vertical side plate portions of each bracket 13 and a pair of plates 14. The lower ends of these plates are connected to the bracket by means of transverse pins orbolts l5 and the main portions of the plates above the base are flat and lie in parallel vertical planes transverse to thelonger axis of the boat. In the space between the platesis fitted a vertically slidable keeper 16, the upper end of which is dart-shaped and bounded by two straight edges 17 lyingsubstantially at a right angle to each other.

The upper end ofthe keeper is provided with a vertical slot 18 through which eX- tends a fixed guide pin or bolt 19 fixed strongly in the parallel plates let. Thispin is preferably of the type indicated in. Fig; 6, the body of which is of a strong nature but having reduced ends to receivenuts 20 on the outside of theplates. This pin 19. while permitting vertical reciprocations of the keeper, serves to prevent any possible lateral movement or separation of the keeper from the other parts of the standard. j

21 indicates a pair of jawspivoted on horizontal parallel pivots 22 in orbetween the upper ends of the plates 14. These jaws are similar to each other and have deflect-ed overlapping hook shaped points or ends 21' when in looking position. The lower or inner ends of the jaws are boundedby straight edges 93, against which the dart-shapedupper end or the straight edges 17 j of the keeper are adapted to squarely abut when the keeper is in looking position as shown in Fig. Any suitable means may be provided to control the action of the keeper 16, both for the purpose of shoving it up with the point of the dart-shaped end thereof forcing the straight edge portions of the jaws apart and holding the parts in the position just indicated. For this purpose I provide for each keeper a longitudinallyslidable wedge indicated at 24 or 25,, .These wedges are similar in function andoperation but differ simply in the formthereof. The standard structures above described in detail, however, are both substantially alike so that a description of either will be understood as being applicable to both. Each end of a wedge 24: or 25, that extends toward the other wedge, constitutes or is formed into a tongue 26 or 27, to which is connected, as by means of a-bolt or rivet 28, a rod 29 leading to the central portion of the rib 11 and boat 10, at which point it is connected to a controlling lever 30 pivoted as at 31 upon the upper end of a fixed bracket 32. The pivotal connection between the rod or rods 29 and the lever is shown at 33.

The wedge 24 is adapted to wipe against the lower end of each keeper 16 causing the keeper to be forced upward when such wedge is pulled toward the center of the boat by a pull on the rod 29. The other wedge 25 at the same time is adapted to be pushed by its rod connection 29 so as to cause its beveled; surface to wipe or push its keeper 16. A simple movement of the lever 30V to or toward its vertical position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 sufiices to cause this locking movement of the keepers, causing the closing of both pairs of jaws and holding the jaws locked closed so long as the lever 30 is upright. The bevel of the wedges is flat enough'to prevent any possibility of the davit connections, ,such as chains .34, from pulling out of the jaws, but when the lever is drawn to the dot and dash position, Fig. 2, at the proper time, vboth pairs of jaws are released simultaneously, allowing the chains 34 to slip therefrom, thus setting the-boat free. From Fig. 4 it will be appreciated that the strain on the davit connections, incident to the lowering of the loaded boat, will .be resisted squarely against the edges 17 on opposite sides of the vertical center of the keeper 16, so that irrespective of the function of the wedge at the lower end of thekeeper a large proportion of the resistance to the swinging of the jaws around their pivots is resisted by thekeeper alone. -When, however, the wedge is reciprocated from beneath the keeper, the keeper will be forced downward promptly as far as-permitted by the SlOtf 18 and keeper pin 19, but with the point thereof still lying between the straight edges 23 ofthe jaws in coples o f this patent may be obtained for position to close the jaws when the keeper is again forced upward by the wedge so as to engage and hold the davit connections 34 for a subsequent launching.

I claim:

1. The combination with a life boat and a longitudinal rib formed along the center of its bottom, of a standard fixed to the rib adjacent to each end thereof, each standard comprising a base bracket, a pair of plates fixed to the bracket and spaced in parallel relation to each other, a keeper located between the plates and arranged for vertical reciprocations, and a pair of jaws pivoted to the upper ends of the plates and cooperating with the upper end of the keeper, and means between the standards to control the action of both keepers and both pairs of jaws simultaneously substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a life boat and a rigid rib fixed longitudinally in the bottom thereof, of a lever pivoted to the rib, a pair of brackets fixed adjacent to the opposite ends of the rib, a pair of wedges slidable along .the brackets, rigid connections between the lever and both wedges whereby the movement of the lever will cause a positive and simultaneous movement of the wedges in the same direction, a pair of jaws above each wedge. and means between each pair of jaws and the adjacent wedge to control the action of the jaws according to the position of the Wedge substantially as set forth.

3. In life boat releasing devices, the combination of a standard comprising a U- shaped bracket, a pair of plates fixed to the bracket and lying in spaced parallel. vertical planes, a wedge slidable along the bracket below the plates, a keeper located between the plates and cooperating with the wedge, the upper end of the keeper being dart-shaped having two bounding edges at right angles to each other, a pair of jaws pivoted between the upper ends of the plates in the plane of the keeper, said jaws having overlapping points at their outer ends and having their inner ends bounded by straight edges against which the edges of the dartshaped keeper cooperate to hold the jaws locked, and means to manually control the position of the wedge substantially as set forth.

FREDERICK J ACOBY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

